The Best Thing
by Eechi
Summary: Little plot bunnies/ideas. Probably no point to most of them. Will hopefully be used later.
1. What I Mean

**Genre: Romance/Suspense  
Disclaimer:** I own no Transformers. Except some action figures. I might even have to steal some of my cousin's little toys.

* * *

**_What I Mean_ is a plot bunny that will most likely be used in the Transformers story that will be written later this summer. It's simply a small scene in a much larger story.**

**In this story, it's... A certain amount of time after the 2007 Transformers movie. Basically, these two --Barricade & Jessie-- are in love, but it's kind of hard to be a human in love with a robot, you know? So I started wondering what would happen... &, well, this was born. It's chock-full of little jokes for my close friends, but if you have any questions, please, ask.**

* * *

"Barricade... Where are we going?"

"I've got something to show you."

"Is it another broken light? Because I swear to God, if I have to make you another flashing light--"

"Just shut up and let me drive."

Jessie crossed her arms and stared at the darkening scenery through the window. "Well, it's not like I have a choice of where you drive, is it?" she muttered.

A sound came from the front of the car; it sounded like the engine was backfiring. Jessie allowed a smirk to cross her face as she heard Barricade snort.

After a few moments of silence, Barricade's voice came again, not as rough as before. "It might be a while until we get there... You should, y'know, stretch out... Try to get some sleep. We had a long shift today." He waited for her reply, becoming tense when he didn't get one. Normally he stayed away from being too nice, but the one time he let his guard down...! It was driving him crazy that he couldn't see what Jessie's reaction was.

He didn't have to wait much longer for a response. He felt it as she took off her seatbelt and slowly, cautiously, pulled her legs up so she could lie sideways across the front seat. Jessie immediately felt sleepy. Barricade relaxed and almost smiled to himself as he turned up the heat to make her more comfortable.

"Hey now..." she murmured as the warmth reached her. "That's just cheating." But Jessie couldn't help but smile a little when Barricade tuned the radio in to an easy-listening station, the music causing her eyelids to droop and finally close all the way. This time Barricade did smile to himself as he drove carefully on.

* * *

An hour or so later, Barricade turned off a crappy dirt road onto a slightly crappier road that was more rocks than dirt. The sudden bumps startled Jessie out of sleep. She hit her head on the roof, then again on the side window as Barricade rolled over a pothole. "Ow... Crap," she muttered, looking out at the empty scenery. "Barricade, where the _hell_ are we?"

"To be honest, I don't really know," came the rough reply. "But... This should be good."

He slowed and stopped as Jessie peered out the windshield. A solitary oak tree stood beside a giant tumble of boulders, its bare branches stark against the winter night.

"Get out." Suddenly nervous, Barricade's tone was harsher than normal. The driver's door opened on its own. Jessie climbed out, confused, and rubbed her arms in the sudden cold.

"What are you--" She stopped short as Barricade's wheels spun until they got some traction and he shot up the road, towards the giant oak. She felt her mouth fall open and her arms drop to her side as she stared after him in disbelief. He kept going, not saying anything, and disappeared behind the oak tree, out of sight.

Jessie' shock turned quickly to annoyance. She began to run after him, shouting angrily. "What the hell are you _doing?!_ Are you just gonna leave me here? Damn it, Barricade!"

She had almost reached the oak when Barricade's voice came through the gloom. "You remember that conversation we had, a few months ago? The one about... Us?"

Jessie stopped abruptly, a pained look appearing on her face. That day... How could she forget? That was the day she had almost lost him. Lost her house, her job, her life. All because of three small words.

"Of course I remember," she whispered. Even though he wasn't near her, she knew Barricade could hear her. Robots are just sensitive like that.

Barricade winced at her tone. "I know what you're thinking about," he called quickly. "But I meant the part before that, when we were talking about how I can transform." As if to make sure she knew exactly what he meant, Barricade transformed into his robot mode. Wheels folded up, gears locked into places, as he stood as his full height. He tried to be stealthy as he glanced around a branch at Jessie, red eyes zooming in on where she stood. If he was lucky...

A slight smile brightened her face. She laughed a little, like Barricade knew she would. He knew he could be easily seen behind the oak tree, that his sneaking was totally pointless. He also knew that he could make Jessie laugh if he tried to hide behind something, every time.

"Now that I have your attention--" Jessie rolled her eyes at him, "--I really do have something to show you."

He took a deep breath, hoping it would work. Then... He began to transform.

It hurt, at first, bringing all of himself into such a small form. Still, he had chosen a form that was tall, even among humans. His features became softer, less angular; his weapons and gears retreating to hide inside the fleshy shell. He grimaced, the expression feeling strange on his new face. The first time he had transformed into this body, he had been unable to control it. Barricade had to sit for at least two hours before figuring out how to walk. It had taken him even longer to talk, but by now he could walk, talk, and look exactly like a real human being.

He just hoped the surprise wouldn't kill Jessie.

She stood, confused, wondering what had happened to Barricade. She had seen him begin to transform, seen him grow smaller until he was hidden behind the tree -- but where was he? Where was the sound of a Mustang's engine?

Jessie took a few cautious steps forward, listening. She broke into a run, strings of panic striking through her. As she got closer to the oak, she caught the sound of heavy breathing, as though whatever was behind the tree had just run a mile.

Barricade took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He heard Jessie's running footsteps approaching quickly. He stepped out from behind the oak...

And collided with Jessie, head on. If he hadn't had alien strength, he would have been knocked down.

All of a sudden Jessie felt hands bracing her shoulders, connected to strong arms... Arms that were definitely human.

She froze once more, staring in shock at the man in front of her. It was odd that he looked so familiar, but -- Where was Barricade? Jessie glanced around wildly, not seeing anything. Suddenly breaking free of the man's grasp, she ran around to the back of the tree. Still no sign of him. She even peered up into the tree; no luck there. Then it must have been...

Jessie whipped around, terror mixed with anger on her face as she glared at the man. She turned fully and strode up to him, saying boldly: "Excuse me, sir, have you seen a police Saleen S281 Mustang anywhere near here? Number 643?"

Barricade couldn't help but smile at Jessie's attitude. It was the way she acted when they were on duty, or when she was questioning someone and the suspect wasn't talking. Most of the time, when she talked like that, she got what she wanted.

The stranger's smile surprised her. She realized as she got closer to him that he was really very tall. He must be at least six and a half feet tall, if not more, she though. At any rate, he hadn't answered her, so she kept talking.

"It's mine, you see, and I rather need it to get back home. So, if--" She stopped abruptly, interrupted by laughter.

Barricade really couldn't help himself, it was just too funny. Of course, it hurt a little that she didn't recognize him... But he shook that feeling off. He guessed it was time he told her who he was.

Jessie's shock had been replaced by fury. Her hand reached down to the belt around her waist to rest on the gun strapped there. She was lost, Barricade was missing, this idiot was laughing at her, and she wanted some answers _now,_ dammit!

Barricade's eyes caught the movement of her hand. Oh, _crap,_ he thought. Yeah. It was definitely time to tell Jessie who he was.

"Whoa, wait a second," he exclaimed, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. "You don't recognize me?"

Jessie squinted at the man before her suspiciously. It was true that he looked familiar, but... She had no idea who he was.

"Nope. No clue."

Barricade sighed heavily and walked a few steps closer. "But we've known each other for a while now... Really think about it."

Jessie glared at him as he came closer. They've known each other...? Had she known someone close to him? What if she had locked up his wife or family? Oh, shit... What if she had locked _him_ up?! Oh my God, he had gotten out of jail and was out for revenge! He was going to kill her, or worse!

Panicked, she pulled out her gun and pointed it steadily at his head. She wasn't about to taken any chances. "Back off, sir. I really don't want to have to use this." Which may or may not have been a lie.

Barricade stared at the gun in Jessie's hands. He wasn't too worried, because he was basically invincible, being a robot and all. Then again... He'd never been shot in this body before.

"Damn... Look, Jessie, the truth is--" he started, sighing and running a hand through his two-tone hair.

"HOLY SHIT, how do you know my name?!" she screamed, then gun in her hands starting to shake. Crap! She wasn't so afraid of him killing her; it was the possibility or _rape..._

"Because it's me, you idiot!" He shouted at her. "I'm Barricade!"

Jessie stared at him with wide eyes. How could this man know Barricade's name? The only people in this area who knew the Transformers' names were Shannon, Marissa, and Sarah.

"Th-That isn't funny," she whispered. "Stop it."

Barricade made his eyes and voice soften. "No joke, Sunshine." She didn't miss that he had used her police force nickname, but it didn't make her feel any better. This man knew way too much -- but it just wasn't possible he was Barricade! He, Starscream, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Hot Rod... Jessie couldn't even begin to count the number of times they had tried to become human.

"You're lying," she muttered, frowning.

"I am _not;_ this is the truth--"

"Even if it is, you know too much. This isn't right...!"

"It's perfectly all right! You just can't get the idea through your thick skull!"

"Shut up, shut up!" Jessie cried. "Barricade turning into a human is too perfect for this to be real!" Then she squinted her eyes shut...

...And pulled the trigger.

Barricade had a split second to react before the gun would fire. He used this time to... Just stand there.

The gun didn't go off. It was empty.

Jessie slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. Why didn't he have a giant bleeding hole in his head?

"You used all your bullets earlier today," Barricade murmured. "When we were stopping the escaped pyromaniac. You forgot to reload it because Shannon called after we got him to make plans for this weekend's party. Then we stopped to buy some muffin mix, but you saw a Hellboy shirt and almost broke your phone trying to call Sarah..." He trailed off, seeing how badly she was shaking. Well, so much for not surprising her, he thought.

Jessie stared at his face, mostly at his eyes... They were an odd shade of red, almost pupil-less. The looked just like...

"Barricade...?" She whispered.

"Finally," he grinned at her. "Took you long enough."

And then she was staggering towards him, dropping her gun, rushing into his now-open arms. Jessie buried her face into his chest, smelling the musty garage scent that was undoubtedly Barricade. His strong muscle-corded arms wrapped around her, crushing her close. Her head just reached a little below his shoulders, in the perfect position to hear his heartbeat. But...

"Why do I hear a bunch of gears and stuff turning in there?" She wondered.

Barricade gave a small chuckle. "I may look like a human, but all that metal had to go somewhere."

Jessie pulled away enough to stare at his face. _"All_ of your robot form is piled in there?" She gasped. He nodded. "And it hurt like hell the first time I did it, too," he said dryly.

She smiled softly, then frowned. "Wait... So you've done this before? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Jess, I couldn't even _move_ at first, much less talk. I didn't even know if I could transform back." He ran his hand through his hair again, almost guiltily. Jessie could see this would become a habit.

"No wonder you're so tall, though..." she said. "What'd you do, scan an actual human you just happened to like the looks of?"

To her surprise, he nodded. "Yeah, actually--" Jessie's gasp cut him off. "Oh my gosh, does that mean there's someone out there who looks exactly like you?! D'you know where he is? Does he know--?"

Barricade interrupted her excited chatter by placing a large hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her. "Enough questions. For now," he added, seeing an arguementive look flash in her eyes.

It suddenly occurred to him that he could stand here, touch her soft skin, and actually _feel _her warmth. He could touch her without crushing her fragile body. Barricade brought his arm back down to smother Jessie against him again. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her smell that was totally her own.

"Barricade?" Jessie asked, confused. He sighed into her hair, murmuring. "God, I've waited so long to do this. You don't know how good it all feels."

She hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Barricade as best she could, since his head was still resting on her hers. He opened his eyes and bent so that his forehead laid against Jessie's, nearly pupil-less red eyes looking into bright brown ones. Suddenly she smiled, her face lighting up and dazzling Barricade.

"It's almost like a sappy love story, isn't it?" she quipped. "The dashing young man goes though traumatic situations just to be with his true love, and when they're finally together, they gaze into each other's eyes..."

Barricade held his breath, waiting for what she would say next.

"...What a load of crap, huh?"

He let out his breath in a disappointed laugh. He had been hoping she would give him some hint to what he was supposed to do next, but... It looked light he was on his own this time.

Jessie had noticed the disappointment in his sigh, and she looked at him in concern. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

Barricade glanced at her open face and quickly away, muttering. "What if... It isn't all crap? If sometimes those idiotic stories are actually pretty accurate?" Jeez, this was even harder than transforming into a human! He didn't like being this free with his emotions, but if this was what it took to be with her, he would just have to suck it up and do it...

"What do you mean?" asked Jessie.

...Which was gonna be a hell of a lot easier said than done.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Barricade ran a hand through his hair nervously. He was about to place it back around Jessie when she suddenly grabbed his hand and held on to it. "You've already got a nervous habit." She smiled at him again. Well, he though, now or never.

"What I mean," he murmured, "is this."

Then he lowered the arm still around Jessie to the small of her back and used it to push her up towards him. Her momentary confusion let him bend his head down and gently press his lips against hers.

Time didn't stop like those sappy books said it did; nor did it feel like he was flying. But Barricade was standing here holding a warm body close to his; he was kissing her without fear of hurting her; and _God_ she tasted so _good!_

Jessie herself didn't know what was happening at first when she felt a pair of warm lips touch hers. The kiss was soft, gentle, innocent only because of inexperience. Then when she finally realized what was happening, he was already pulling away. Dazedly, she thought it wasn't fair he had caught her off guard. So with a small cry of "No you don't!" she reached up on the tips of her toes to reclaim his mouth. The hand that wasn't holding on to Barricade's found its way behind his head, pulling him back down. No amount of good kisses could make her reach that far up for very long!

And they were very good. Jesse didn't know how Barricade had gotten so good at it, but did that really matter? He was a bit surprised at first, but when he realized she wasn't smacking him, he responded quickly.

Finally they pulled apart, breathing slightly harder than normal. Barricade looked down at her tenderly for a moment before pulling her against his body and holding her there. Jessie closed her eyes and stood there, content. Then a thought bubbled up, making her frown.

Barricade felt it and asked, "What?" He was slightly worried. What if she was feeling regretful? Were his actions wrong? Did she not like it? Was she having second thoughts? Did his kissing suck?

"...Marissa's going to be so mad," Jessie mumbled into his chest.

Barricade almost fell. "And why is that?"

"Because," she explained. "Her fuzzy blanket only has you and Optimus Prime's robot modes to warm her up. Just wait'll she finds out I've got a human Barricade to do the same thing... Only better."

He shook with laughter after she said this, the deep baritone sound giving Jessie a euphoric feeling.

That is, until his knees buckled and he really did fall to the ground, taking her with him.

"Oh my God!" Jessie shouted, alarmed. "What the hell just happened?! Are you okay?" He grimaced, reaching down to rub his knees. "I'll be alright," he replied roughly. "I guess I'm not used to standing for so long as a human." Barricade gave a weak grin. "Makes me feel kind of flimsy."

Jessie checked to make sure he was really okay, then smacked his head lightly. "Don't joke like that! You scared me." She pouted a little as she stared at him. "Would changing back into your vehicle mode help?"

He nodded. "It would," he said seriously.

"...So why don't you?"

"Well... I don't think I can."


	2. I'm Bigger

**Genre: **Humor  
**Disclaimer:** I own no Transformers. Except some action figures. I might even have to steal some of my cousin's little toys.

* * *

**_I'm Bigger_ will probably not be used in the upcoming Transformers story. It's pure crack-fic.**

**Oh, God. Please, if you have any surviving sanity, turn back now. D: Also, never get into an argument with your friend over whether or not a toy's size has anything to do with its YOU KNOW size.  
This... _Thing_... It has no point. At all. -sigh-**

* * *

The two girls walked down the hallway, sipping sodas and chatting about an anime that had come on the other day. The hallway they were in was part of an abandoned school, a new one having been built elsewhere. It had been one of the only places they could go to be with their other friends: The Transformers.

That is, until the alien robots had learned how to change into humans. Now they only came back to the school for privacy. The toilets all still worked, and they had rigged the snack and drink machines so they wouldn't have to pay.

That was where Jessie and Marissa had been, but now the two friends were heading back to the gym, the group's favorite room. As they turned the corner and the gym doors came into view, Marissa slowed down, frowning.

"Hey, wait a sec...,"she said. "Do you hear that?"

Jessie stopped too and listened. What sounded like shouting could be heard coming from the gym. They looked at each other. "Oh, shit," Marissa sighed heavily. "Understatement," Jessie agreed. Then they broke into a run, dropping their drinks into a trashcan along the way. The shouting got louder as they neared the doors, until it was easy to tell that the voices were male.

Jessie and Marissa slammed through the double doors to see Barricade and Starscream in their human forms, yelling about something.

"Your idiot boyfriends are at it again," someone shouted. They looked to the left to see a girl and man sitting in the middle of the bleachers. Sarah had her arms crossed and her "I'm fucking annoyed" expression on her face. Every time one of the shouters' voices peaked, an eyebrow would twitch and her scowl would deepen. Optimus Prime sat on her right, waiting patiently.

"Well, what are they fighting about _this_ time?" Jessie called up to her.

A different voice answered her, crying out, "They're arguing over who's better again! Please, make them _stop!_" Shannon was trying to hide a row behind Bumblebee, visibly cringing. Bumblebee himself looked like he was enjoying the shouting match. He kept cheering for one side then the other, until finally Shannon smacked him, telling him to make up his damn mind. After that he just booed and cheered.

Marissa stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Barricade and Starscream, while Jessie covered her eyes with one hand and shook her head. "We might as well let them run out of steam," she muttered. Marissa nodded but said, "I still don't get how they can be on the same 'effing side and argue so damn much!"

Jessie shrugged and went to sit on the bottom row of bleachers, settling down to listen and wait. After a moment Marissa did the same.

Out in the middle of the floor, the taller Barricade was glaring down at the cocky Starscream. Barricade was shouting:

"I'm more intelligent!"

"I'm more cunning!"

"I've got better weapons!"

"Lies," Starscream seethed. "Besides, I'm younger."

"I'm older!"

"Since when is that a good thing?!"

"It means I've got more experience," Barricade retaliated.

"Does not. And I'm taller."

"Not in this form you aren't!"

"I've got better connections--" Starscream began, but was cut off by a snort from Barricade.

"I stay loyal to those I care about," he said firmly.

Starscream's mouth dropped before he composed himself, thinking quickly. Suddenly he smirked at Barricade and hissed, _"I'm bigger."_

Now it was Barricade's turn to stare, astonished and open-mouthed, his face turning a stunning shade of red. He managed to shut his mouth and say through clenched teeth, "You wanna bet?"

Starscream's smirk grew as he said, "Yes, actually."

Barricade shoved him roughly, half-shouting. "Let's take this somewhere else, then!"

"Fine!" snapped Starscream. Then the two were racing for the boys' locker room, slamming the door shut behind them.

"...Well -- That was... Interesting," Jessie choked out. Sarah was trying not to die laughing at the unexpected turn of events, and Shannon's face was red. The girls below her heard Bumblebee reply to something she had whispered: "No, I don't think it would be worth it to try and get pictures. They shouldn't be in there that long."

Sure enough, after another few moments of silence, an infuriated yell cut through the air, along with a colourful string of curse words. Seconds later, a livid Barricade smashed through the locker room door, breaking it off its hinges. His red eyes searched the room until they landed on Jessie, who gulped nervously without knowing why. He stalked over to her, running a hand through his two-tone hair as he approached. Without breaking his stride, he grabbed her hand, wrenched her off the bleachers, and headed towards the exit. As she stumbled along behind him, he muttered angrily at her, "C'mon! You're gonna teach me to use this thing better than that punk kid. I don't care _how_ big it is; if he sucks at doing it right--." The rest of his rant was cut off as the door slammed behind them, Jessie shooting a terrified look at her friends just before it closed.

Then there was a furious scramble from the top of the bleachers as Shannon fumbled for her camera and almost killed herself running down the stairs. She skid to slow herself when she reached the bottom and took off after Jessie and Barricade, hoping her camera was charged. Bumblebee smacked his forehead and slowly followed her.

Starscream emerged, looking extremely pleased with himself, as Bumblebee passed him. Bumblebee held up a hand in a sarcastic wave and grumbled, "Thanks a lot, man."

Starscream grinned and sauntered over to Marissa, sitting down beside her and placing an arm around her shoulders. He hummed a tune as they all just sat there, Sarah and Optimus in shock, Marissa staring dully at Starscream. Finally he noticed and said, "What?"

"If you had lost, you would have gone off and wrecked a city or something," Marissa said. "But when Barricade lost, he went off to show Jessie a good time. Now -- How is that fair?"

Starscream shrugged, then smiled charmingly at her. "At least you have the satisfaction of knowing you're with the bigger man."

Marissa smacked the back of his head. "Go get me a soda, you bastard."

Starscream stood up, taking Marissa with him. He bent down and kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear, "Only if you come with me." He winked and led her in the opposite direction Barricade and Jessie had gone, Marissa allowing a small smile to brighten her face.

As soon as they were gone, Sarah turned to Optimus and said, "All of my friends are sex-obsessed freaks. What does that make me?"

Optimus looked at her lovingly then pulled her towards him in a hug. "Very self-controlled," he answered. Sarah just groaned in exasperation and collapsed against his chest.


	3. Unknown Tears

**Genre: **Tragedy/Romance  
**Disclaimer:** I own no Transformers. Except some action figures. I might even have to steal some of my cousin's little toys.

* * *

**_Unknown Tears_ is a plot bunny that may or may not be used in the Transformers story that will be written later this summer. It's simply a small scene in a much larger story.**

**This story is depressing. You've been warned.**

* * *

Jessie was missing.

...Okay, so that wasn't entirely true, but if Barricade didn't find her soon, he was going to paste her face on all the milk cartons on the North American continent. He wondered how much it would cost to hire a team of professional man-hunters... Plus dogs. Probably a little over the salary of a small-time cop.

Right now he was in vehicle mode, sirens wailing and lights flashing as he made his way to Marissa's house. I swear, he though in annoyance, everyone and their fucking horde of a family is on this one damn road!

Finally he made it to the base where Marissa and Starscream lived. Wheels skidding, he braked to a stop outside their house and transformed into his human form. After over a year of practice, he was able to transform easily into his human body whenever he wanted, feeling no pain at all. His red eyes glanced over at the airplane hanger next to the house. It was large enough to hold at least one jet, A.K.A. a Starscream.

He didn't feel like going through both the hanger and the house trying to find them, so he decided to use his infrared vision to see where they were. His eyes drifted lazily across the house, checking the first and second floors thoroughly. Except for Marissa's ump-teen number of cats, there weren't any signs of life in the house. Sighing impatiently, he turned his gaze onto the hanger, two outstanding patches of red-white appearing immediately. They were lying very close to each other on the floor... And holy cow, their body warmth was skyrocketing! The only way the two's heat signatures could be so warm... And they were lying so close, it was almost impossible to tell where one ended and the other began, unless...

"Oh, shit!" Barricade screamed, switching back to normal vision. He rubbed his eyes with his hands furiously, as if trying to rub the image off his mind. "Dammit, dammit, _dammit,_" he muttered, continuing to curse. Somehow he doubted either of them knew where Jessie was.

...Or what time it was, or how disgusting they were, or that some people had infrared vision and could see _exactly_ what they were doing!

Or maybe that was just him. Whatever.

Shaking his head as he transformed into vehicle mode, Barricade decided to try Shannon next. Jessie loved to sleep over at her house and convince Shannon to draw things for her, although they hardly ever slept. And Shannon was much less likely to be... _Preoccupied._

Getting to her house took less time than he expected. He pulled around to the back of the house where no one could see him and transformed into his robot mode. Finding a window in the middle, he gently tapped the glass with one massive fingertip. He saw a flurry of motion on the other side before it opened abruptly, the brunette who opened it standing with a pencil in her hand and her iPod headphones threatening to fall from her ears.

"Barricade...!" she gasped. "I wasn't expecting -- Why didn't you come in as a -- Are you--"

Barricade interrupted her quickly. "Were you writing more of your manga?" Shannon nodded, looking relieved. Whenever the famous manga author was distracted from writing or drawing her story, she was scatter-brained, disoriented. Sometimes she forgot where she was, which was why Bumblebee normally stayed with her when she was working.

Now she seemed to have come back to reality. "So," she was saying. "What brings you here?"

Barricade suddenly became anxious again. "Have you seen Jessie anywhere? Do you know where she is? I can't find her--"

"Whoa, slow down!" Shannon was among the few people who could understand the Transformers' strange dialect, but when Barricade spoke so quickly, it became hard to tell what he was saying.

He sighed heavily and reached up to run a hand through hair that wasn't there, letting it drop back down in frustration. "Do you know where Jessie is?" He asked more slowly this time.

Shannon thought for a second before shaking her head regretfully. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "The last time I saw her was a couple days ago when she came over to distract me and play Rock Band." She frowned as Barricade slumped and turned to go. "Thanks," he said dully. "I'm sorry," she called again. "Maybe she's at Sarah's. You know how--"

But Barricade had already transformed into his police cruiser form and was peeling out of her driveway, having done so the second he heard Sarah's name. Of course! Jessie had been going to Sarah's house more and more frequently lately, most of the time just to talk and reassure herself that she was going to be okay. Jessie had confessed to Barricade that Sarah had answers to a lot of the questions Jessie had about herself. She also told him Optimus Prime was always there for her. If Barricade wasn't at home, Sarah's house was always Jessie's second home.

With each passing mile, Barricade grew more nervous. Finally he just started going as fast as he could, sirens wailing and ignoring the speed limit. Cursing as he missed the invisible turn-off to her house, he decided to screw the rules and transform into his robot mode. He stomped down the narrow driveway, trying not to knock over _too_ many trees.

A dog ran out from behind the house, barking insanely. "Domino, shut _up!_" The voice shouted, becoming louder as its owner slammed open the front door and came slowly down the porch steps. Sarah froze when she saw Barricade standing there, along with most of the trees around her house lying on the ground. Her mouth fell open and her face turned an opaque shade of red. Ah, crap, Barricade thought wearily. Now she's gonna start scre--

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU _DOING?! _Dammit! Why the hell did you come busting through here all--" She was cut off abruptly by a pair of hands covering her mouth from behind. "I came running as soon as I heard the harpy shrieks," Optimus Prime explained. "By the way, dear, your face is a lovely shade of red -- Augh!" He snatched his hands away and sucked on his fingers. "You didn't have to bite me," he said accusingly.

Sarah glared venomously at him as she turned and waved her hand at their wrecked yard. "You mind asking your buddy here why our yard looks like chow-time for beavers?"

"I can't find Jessie anywhere," Barricade snapped. "I went to Marissa's, but OH GOD, I don't want to relive that. Then I went to Shannon's, but she wasn't there either, so I came here, and I'm more than a little insane worrying about her, and the goddamn trees will grow back!" He ended shouting, startling some birds. In the following silence, a telephone could be heard ringing.

"Umm -- I'll just go get that," Prime excused himself and almost ran inside. Barricade stared down at Sarah helplessly, breathing hard. "You know, I'm still gonna make you replant those trees," she said. "Jessie too," she added. Barricade nodded. He knew Sarah was trying to reassure him that they would find Jessie, and that she would be safe.

Just then Prime slammed out of the house, looking upset and almost frantic. "That was the hospital!" He yelled to Barricade. "They tried to call your house, but no one answered, and we're listed as the emergency contact." He took a breath. "Jessie went to the hospital for stomach pain, but she left almost right after the diagnosis. The doctor said she was crying and unstable, so he got worried. He said in her condition, it's dangerous for her to be out there alone!" Prime paused and looked at Barricade sadly. "They have no idea where she went, but she needs to be taken back to the hospital right away."

Barricade slowly transformed into his human form, seeming to deflate without even realizing it. "Did... Did they say what happened? What made her leave?" He asked, dreading the answer.

Prime hesitated before shaking his head. Barricade didn't relax as he turned to Sarah, asking, "Do you have any idea where she might be?" The brunette frowned as she thought, Optimus wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Suddenly her face brightened and she shouted, "Her old house! The one she grew up in; Jessie _loved_ that place. I'm pretty sure it's been abandoned, but she wouldn't care."

Barricade would have kissed Sarah if he wasn't listening so carefully to the directions she was now giving him. He committed the address and quickest route to his memory banks, already turning to leave. With a distracted wave that led to him running his hand through his hair, Barricade ran towards the driveway, transforming into his vehicle mode when he reached it.

As soon as he was out of sight, Sarah turned to Optimus Prime, looking at him curiously. "You lied when Barricade asked if the doctor said what happened. Why? What'd they say?" Prime gave her a look so filled with sadness, pity, regret, sympathy, dread... She forced herself not to look away. Optimus couldn't stand the thought of what had happened; he couldn't tell Sarah what it was. Instead he just wrapped both arms around her and crushed her against him, burying his face in her hair. Sarah was astonished to feel wetness seeping through to her skull, and when she pulled away she saw that he was silently crying. She brought up a hand to wipe away his tears, wondering what could possibly make a multi-war veteran cry.

"Something world-shattering," he replied to the unsaid thought.

* * *

Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit!_ Barricade thought frantically as he tore down the overgrown dirt road that would apparently take him to Jessie's childhood home. A fallen tree blocked the road; he morphed into a robot and kept going. I knew I shouldn't have left her alone, he berated himself. Not so close to the day... Not with her being _her._ If anything had happened to her, Barricade would never forgive himself. He would die. He would kill himself. He would rip the spark out of his chest; he would sink into the deepest abyss.

If anything happened to her, or to...

Finally, Barricade reached her driveway, reached the old wooden house with the faded blue roof. Time had ravaged the land surrounding it, nature taking over in humanity's absence. For one terrible moment, Barricade thought she wasn't there after all... Then he saw the tire marks, the places where Jessie's car had crashed through the weeds. Her Honda Fit sat abandoned in front of the patio, driver's door open and curious bugs flitting around it. He glanced up at the house and saw the side door was also open, keys still in the lock.

He considered just ripping the roof off, but he didn't think Jessie would appreciate that. If she still had the keys after all these years, she must still love the house. Instead Barricade transformed into a human and ran up and through the open door, where he stopped.

Listened.

Heard... Silence. Then a small sound, muffled yet clear in the empty house. It came from his left, and he ran towards it, down a short hallway, to the right, three doorways. Which one?

A sob, a gasp -- The center door. Barricade burst into the room, looking around wildly. Window, chair, to the left, a bunk bed -- Bottom bunk -- Huddled form -- Under the blankets.

In a heartbeat Barricade strode over to the bed, ripped the covers back... And there she was. Jessie lay curled up, brown hair tangled, spread wildly in a halo around her. Her face was streaked with tears, her shoes missing, pants torn at the knee. Her hands were locked around her bare stomach; Barricade glanced around for her shirt and saw it lying on the floor next to the bed. His gaze returned to her stricken form, looking for any injuries. He didn't see any blood -- There. On her bulging stomach, ten tiny red marks.

Barricade dropped onto the bed, grabbing Jessie's wrists and wrenching them away from her belly. He winced when her hands came away easily, pained by both her weakness and the traces of blood on her nails. He pulled her gently onto his lap, leaning against the wall and cradling her head on his shoulder. He took hold of both her hands in one of his and laid them on her leg, other hand reaching up to turn her face towards his. Barricade couldn't stop staring; it felt like it had been so long since he had been able to see Jessie's face. She was still sobbing, her hands holding his tightly.

"Shhh, Jessie, Jessie," he murmured, cupping her cheek. "Honey, Sunshine, it's okay -- I've got you, it's okay now. What's wrong? I'll make it better, I'll fix everything. I'm here now, baby--"

Jessie cut him off with a wail, wrenching her hands up to cover her face. Barricade was shocked into silence for a few seconds. Then it clicked -- The stomach pain, the hospital visit, her flight away from everything, the way she had reacted to the word baby...

"Jessie... Jessie. Look at me," he said, gentle yet commanding. To his surprise, she did, tear-filled brown eyes meeting his red ones. He really didn't want to know the answer, but...

"Jessie... What happened to the baby?"

If Barricade had a heart, it would have stopped as her eyes overflowed, making fresh tracks. She gulped in breaths of air, trying to speak. His thumb made soothing circles under her eye; his arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her closer. "Sunshine," he whispered.

Fighting to form the words, Jessie choked them out between hiccups, her voice barely audible even to Barricade's super-sensitive audio receptors:

_"It's dead."_

Barricade's head whipped back so fast and so hard that it made a dent in the wall behind him. For once in the entire time he had been on-line, his mind couldn't process what was happening, couldn't respond. His arms loosened from Jessie as his whole body went slack. Distress filled Jessie and she clung to him, not wanting to lose her only anchor. Maybe he would come back if she explained--

"M-My stomach started to h-hurt, so I drove myself to the hospital," she stuttered quickly, her voice becoming stronger as she spoke. "They did a check-up l-like they always do, but..." She trailed off, biting her lip as tears started flowing again. Barricade still wasn't doing or saying anything, which only made her cry harder.

"But... It wasn't breathing. It suffocated, somehow -- Barricade!" she cried, hitting his chest with a weak fist. He blinked, seeming to see her now, barely feeling the punch she just gave him. He reached back up to wipe away some of her tears, whispering roughly. "How... Why did this happen?"

"I don't _know!_" Jessie wailed suddenly. "But then they wanted it -- They wanted to take our baby away." She curled into his chest, whispering dementedly now. "Why? But can't they see, it's already gone. No life. Why take it now? It's gone..." Her hands tightened on his shirt, eyes clenched shut as she shouted, "Barricade, our baby is dead!"

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, teeth clenched in pain as he ground out, "I know, Sunshine. But we... We'll get through..." He couldn't finish the sentence, shutting everything else out except for his pain, his girlfriend, and their lost future.

They huddled together in the silent house, the Decepticon shedding tears he didn't even know he had as the brunette trembled in his arms.


	4. Feel the Rush

**Genre: **Romance/Humor  
**Disclaimer:** I own no Transformers. Except some action figures. I might even have to steal some of my cousin's little toys.  
**Important: The only reason this partial story was uploaded was for a friend who needed a reference for something. I'll try to finish it soon.**

* * *

**_Feel the Rush_ is a plot bunny that will most likely be used in the Transformers story that will be written later this summer. It's simply a small scene in a much larger story.**

**Incomplete. I'll upload the rest once... Well, once it's written.**

* * *

"Yeah... Yeah, of course we'll come! ...Okay. See you soon. Bye."

"Who was that?" Barricade's voice drifted down the hall. Jessie put the house phone back into its cradle and headed towards the living room, answering, "Becca. She's having a close friends-only pool party to celebrate her graduation from college." She turned through the doorway and smiled, seeing Barricade lying on the couch, one leg thrown over the back and a hand over his face. Her smile grew as he groaned. "Please tell me you said no."

Jessie snorted, moving to stand behind the arm rest his head was lying on. Her fingers started playing with his hair, causing him to groan again, this time with pleasure. "You know me better than that," she murmured. "In fact, I said you would go, too."

Barricade's hand flashed up to grab Jessie's and his eyes snapped open, red gaze landing on the brunette. Her brown eyes widened imperceptibly and her breath hitched -- details a normal human wouldn't have picked up. For a second Barricade felt guilty. He was an alien hundreds of times stronger than Jessie, able to transform into a car and back to a monster robot. She was... Well, a human female. Young, fragile, yet not weak. She was sacrificing so much to be with him, when he really didn't deserve it at all. Jessie needed someone normal, someone from her own planet. He felt guilty taking that away from her.

The feeling was becoming more familiar every moment he spent with her.

Jessie's surprise faded as quickly as it had appeared. Every time Barricade did something demonstrating his real strength, she remembered he wasn't human. After a while she had gotten used to it, but it still gave her a rush. She would never admit it to anyone, but she loved the feeling of being protected. His strength gave her chills -- chills that energized her, made her love him more every time she got them.

Feeling the tingles fade from her system, Jessie smiled coyly at him, playing up his weakness. "What? Oh, come on. You'll get to see me in a bathing suit," she teased.

An animal glint appeared in his eyes, sending a completely different tingle racing up and down her spine. Still holding onto her hand, he pulled her around the side of the couch and forward, towards him. Suddenly finding herself in his lap, Jessie couldn't help laughing. His arms wound around her, pulling her down on top of him and keeping her there. Warm breath ghosted over her ear as Barricade whispered, "But we could just stay here and I could see you in a much more appealing outfit..." His hands found their way under her shirt, proving his point.

Jessie smiled up at the ceiling, enjoying the feeling of his warm hands on her stomach. "It'll be wet at the pool."

"The shower is wet."

"Yeah, but the lighting sucks."

"Maybe I find dim lighting sexy and think the mystery is a turn-on."

She laughed, and was about to reply when he sighed, the movement causing her to rise a little. He stuck his chin over her shoulder and kissed her cheek before saying, "Okay, that's a lie. But do we really have to go?" His voice vibrated next to her throat, baritone and familiar.

"Well, I'm going no matter what. There will probably be loads of guys there looking for a vulnerable girl in a cute bathing suit... Who knows?"

Barricade snorted, knowing she was anything but vulnerable. But still...

"...One piece or two?"

Jessie smirked. "Bikini."

Oh God. That settled it. "Okay. I'm going. Too much of your skin showing and too many perverts for me not to."

Jessie gave a little squeal of delight and reached a hand up to turn Barricade's head towards hers, kissing his lips quickly before saying, "Aw, my strong policeman is going to protect me from all the big, bad boys."

The kiss had sparked Barricade into wanting more. Without warning, he rolled them both over, managing to get Jessie on her back, looking up at him. He loomed over her, both hands holding hers on either side of her head. He leaned down and murmured, "You have no idea how bad I can be." Then his lips were on hers, biting gently, sucking at her lower lip. He kissed her hungrily, reveling in the sensation only she could give him.

Unable to tangle her hands in his hair, Jessie bucked up against him. That was when she felt it and froze. His tongue was asking for entrance, but she pulled away, not without difficulty. When Barricade looked down at her, confused, she smiled wryly up at him and said, "I think maybe you should take a nice, cold shower _before_ we go."

"Before? What the... _Oh._" Barricade realized what she was getting at and sat up, releasing her. He ran a hand through his hair, looking away and turning a light shade of red. Jessie crawled out and sat on her knees, still smiling. God, she loved him so much. One moment he would be whispering seductive things in her ear, the next they would be _doing_ those things... But the moment she pointed it out, he would get embarrassed and become the fifth grade boyfriend. It was almost too sweet to stand.

She stood up, shaking her head. "Well, I'm going to go get changed." As she walked over to the hall, the felt Barricade's eyes on her every step of the way, tracing the curves her loose outfit allowed. Jessie paused in the doorway, looking slyly over her shoulder. "Sure you don't want a kiss before I go?"

He grimaced, hiding his face in his hands. "Just go," he called wearily. "Go before I lose control and jump you on the stairs." He heard her laughing as she retreated down the hall and up the stairs. His hands moved to rest on his legs and he smiled softly at the floor. Barricade loved how the house was always filled with her laughter; how her smile brightened whatever room she was in. Never before in his life had anything brought him such happiness as when he was with his Sunshine.

However... Now he leaned back and looked down at his human body. Yes, it let him get closer to Jessie than he had ever imagined, but it could be so troublesome sometimes. Like how it reacted whenever he was around Jessie. Some of the feelings, the desires, were almost uncontrollable. He still wasn't sure he wouldn't carry out his threat of jumping her.

Speaking of...

"I guess it would help if I took care of this," he muttered roughly to himself. Gingerly, he stood up and slowly made his way to the downstairs bathroom, wincing with every step.

"I don't get what females find so attractive about these things," he grumbled as he closed the door. "Mmm... Hope it won't cause trouble at the pool."

* * *

Jessie sat at the kitchen counter on her favorite barstool, long legs swinging back and forth. She leaned on the counter with her head in one hand, the other plucking at her bikini strap thoughtfully. "Wow," she murmured to herself. "Been a while since I wore this. I can't believe it still fits..."

She was interrupted from her musings by the sound of Barricade stomping downstairs from their bedroom. "Well, I guess we should get this over with," he was saying as he turned into the kitchen.

"Whoa. Wait a minute. No. What the hell is _that?_"

Jessie looked down at the light purple sundress covering her bathing suit. "What? It's cute. You didn't think I wouldn't wear anything else, did you?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. What, so the first time I get to see you a bunch of other guys will be staring?"

She blushed slightly as she frowned and said defensively, "It's for sun protection! Besides, it's just like you wearing that T-shirt with your shorts."

Now Barricade looked at his old grey shirt that covered the waist of his dark red swim trunks. He glanced back up at Jessie, who had her arms crossed and a stubborn pout on her face. Barricade sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he walked over to the opposite side of the counter. He leaned on it with his arms and stared hard at her.

"I've got an easy solution," he said seriously. Jessie looked at him curiously.

"You take off all your clothes, I'll take off all of mine, and we'll be even. Then we can go from there."

Her eyes slid shut as she groaned in exasperation, her forehead heading towards the countertop. Quickly Barricade shoved his hand across the table, cushioning her head. "Well if you're going to be like that we'll need some pillows. How about the bed? It's got lots of 'em," he remarked.

Jessie's short laugh echoed around the kitchen. Suddenly she sat up, grabbing her car keys in one hand and his hand in the other, and made her way towards the front door. "Come on, let's go before you actually convince me to stay."

Barricade grabbed her bag of sunscreen and such as they passed it, protesting. "You mean I was getting somewhere? Hey, wait, I've got more--"

The _snick_ as the door closed behind him made him stop mid-sentence.

* * *

**To Be Continued. Also, I love the phrase, "all up in each other's Kool-Aid."**


	5. Stray

**Genre:** Romance/Humor  
**Disclaimer:** None of the mentioned Transformers belong to me. Marissa, however, does, & she knows it.  
**Important: This one-shot-like thing will probably not be included in my upcoming Transformers story.**

* * *

**_Stray _is a gift story for one of my closest friends, The Mechaphile.**** I owe her big time, & I finally got it done, after an entire summer of promises. Sorry, sorry!**

**Okay, so this follows a scene where Marissa takes her new boyfriend home to meet the parents. Apparently, it doesn't go so well, and... _This _happens. Mecha had an idea for something like this where she takes Starscream home for dinner; I simply made it so that it didn't work out the way she had hoped.**

**By the way: Sterling is the name Marissa came up for Starscream that she uses around un-suspecting humans. He hates it; she teases him constantly. It means _'little star.'_**

**Please, keep the story width at 3/4. It's the size the story was written on, & the one I think looks best.**

* * *

"We won't allow you to see such a loose cannon!"

"Why the fuck _not?!_"

"Marissa Valdez! Don't you dare speak to me that way!"

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck--"

"Damn it, he isn't good enough for you!"

"You think I don't know that?" Marissa shouted in exasperation, hands on her hips as she argued with her parents over whether or not she could continue seeing her boyfriend.

The man in question sat on a hard wooden chair between them. "Hey--" he began indignantly.

"Shut up, you know I love you," Marissa dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"You can't possibly love him" her mother sputtered. Normally Mrs. Valdez was a very pretty woman; however, now her face was blotchy with anger and her hair was falling from its place. Marissa's father didn't _look_ as angry as his wife, a deep frown on his face the only evidence that he was upset. Still, Marissa knew he was furious.

"That's right," he agreed. "How long have you known him?"

"I don't know, about--"

"Not long enough," her father interrupted firmly.

"But I _do_ love Sta -- Sterling! You don't know how much!" the dark-haired brunette opposed.

'Sterling' began to get up, protesting: "That's _not_ my name--!"

"Stay out of this," both mother and daughter said in unison as they reached out a hand each and shoved him back onto the chair. He stared up at them, mouth agape, for a moment before letting out a disgruntled "Humph" and crossing his arms childishly.

"He just isn't the kind of person we want you to be seeing," her mother told her. "We have no idea where he came from, who his parents are, what he plans to do -- nothing!"

_Well, _you_ don't,_ Marissa thought. _I at least know two of those things. I also know I love Starscream._

"You just don't want me to be happy," Marissa hissed through clenched teeth. She could feel hot angry tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Mrs. Valdez grew frustrated when she saw the tears. "That's what we're concerned about! Your _future _happiness!"

Mr. Valdez motioned Starscream up and led him towards the front door. "I think it'd be a good idea if you leave now, son," he said, all but pushing him out of the house.

"No!" Marissa screamed, the tears running fast down her cheeks. "I want to be happy _now!_"

"Okay, so you'll be happy for a few months," her mother snapped at her. "Then, the money will run out, and he won't be able to provide for you. Then he'll leave you, alone and abandoned. I thought you would have learned that from all those animals you took in."

Starscream's last glimpse was of Marissa stalking towards the stairs leading to the second floor and whispering viciously at her mother: "Yeah, I always did have a thing for _strays._" Then the door slammed shut in his face, and he was left standing in the light rain.

_A stray...?_ He thought briefly, before pushing the thought out of his mind.

"Leave?" he muttered to himself. "Oh, I don't think so."

Glancing around, Starscream grabbed some pebbles from a nearby gravel path. _Second window to the left, second story... Ah. _A light flicked on behind the window he was staring at. _There you are,_ he thought.

Then, with perfect precision and form, he selected a rock and threw it at the window. When there was no response, he frowned, then threw another rock.

"You'd better open up soon, you troublesome female," he said aloud. "I'll eventually run out of small rocks and I've got all night to find bigger ones."

* * *

Marissa flicked on the overhead light and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it quickly. Her tears had dried as she left the fight, and now her mind was skipping through possible escape routes. Her eyes landed on the window just as a small tap sounded against it. The brunette hardly heard it, though, as her thoughts raced.

_Window -- second story -- are the sheets long enough?_

She ran over and knelt beside the bed, grabbed the fabric -- and stopped, shaking her head. _No good._

_It's a stupid idea, anyways,_ she tried to tell herself. _He's probably already gone, that jerk. Off flying above all this crap with failure plans to overthrow something running through his Decepticon mind._

_Tap._

_I mean, what was I going to do? Go to the hanger I last saw him in? Tell him to take me away? _She snorted. _Like he would ever do that._

_Tap._

"Asshole," she mumbled, flopping onto her bed with a grunt. Marissa buried her face in the pillows, thinking of how mean Starscream could be.

_Tap._

_  
Still..._ She sighed.

_Tap._

_I wish I could go with him anywhere, right now._

_**CRACK.**_

"What the--?!" Marissa shot off the bed, wide eyes staring at the only window in the room. She slowly made her way over to it, grabbing a baseball bat leaning against a dresser as she passed. Pausing before the curtained window, she raised her hand to the cream fabric and yanked them aside, opening the window as well in one fluid movement. She ducked down to peer through it --

-- Just as a medium-sized rock flew through the now-open window and over her heard, barely missing her!

"Holy crap! That almost hit _me,_ you idiot!" Marissa yelled, sticking her head out of the window and waving her bat at the dark yard below. She squinted into the dusk, catching sight of a figure standing impatiently a couple yards away from the house.

"So now I'm an idiot, huh? Well, I guess it's better than Sterling," Starscream replied. He was tossing something into the air and catching it, not seeming to even think about it. Marissa frowned as she saw it was a rock, and not exactly a small one.

"How long have you been out there?" she called down to him.

"Long enough to use your yard's supply of small pebbles and become soaked enough to notice this incessant rain."

Even though he now wore an annoyed expression, she couldn't help but sort slowly through her jumbled thoughts.

Starscream had gotten kicked out a good forty-five minutes ago. In accordance with his nature, he should've been long gone within the first five. Instead, he had put up with the continuous drizzle and stayed to see her, to talk to her. Shoot, he had even been thoughtful enough to use small rocks at first. That was a major accomplishment in itself.

But he had stayed...

"Well of course I stayed," Starscream said suddenly. Marissa jumped, not realizing she had spoken out loud. "And I'm not going until you come down."

She stared down at him blankly. "So how are you going to make me go down there?"

He hefted the rock in his hand as if testing it. "I've got plenty of these left -- I don't care how big they are. I guess one of them will eventually break something, but..." He shrugged. "It's not my stuff. Or my face."

Now Marissa frowned. Deciding to ignore the obvious threat, she asked, "Why did you stay?"

Starscream was caught off-guard and almost dropped the rock. He glanced away, scowling self-consciously and gripping the rock tightly in his fist. "Just put your shoes on and get a warm blanket," he growled at her.

Without hesitation she turned back into her room, grabbed a soft throw blanket, and slipped into some comfortable shoes. She smiled to herself as she got ready, thinking of what her parents would say. She also thought about Starscream's abrupt changed of attitude, first staying, then back to normal with threats and orders. It was strange...

Well, no turned back tonight.

Marissa returned to the open window and called down to him, "Okay, now what? How do I get down?"

"Can't you just use the front door like a normal human?" he groaned, becoming evermore impatient.

She rolled her eyes. "Not really. The 'rents are still down there, remember?"

Starscream stared up at her silently, then down at the base of the house. He thought for a moment, calculating. His steady gaze returned to her waiting face.

"So jump."

Marissa nodded, started to hoist a leg over the sill -- then she froze. "Wait -- you want me to _what?_" she asked incredulously.

"Jump," he repeated. "Come on, you're halfway there. Just sneak out."

"No way! I'll break my neck!"

He snorted. "No, you won't. It isn't that far to the ground, anyways."

"It still won't be a very painless landing. Look," she began to withdraw her leg from the window, "maybe we just aren't--"

"I'll catch you," he interrupted suddenly.

Marissa stared down at his guarded expression, wanting to believe him. Then she glanced away as a faint blush tinted her cheeks. "No you won't."

Starscream gaped at her, clearly surprised. "You think I wouldn't catch you?" he asked in disbelief.

Now she glared down at him, saying, "I _know_ you wouldn't!"

He sighed, his head dropping and damp hair swinging forward to cover his eyes. He stood there limply for a moment. Then with a sharp movement he threw the rock he was clutching to the side, energy seeming to course through him with renewed determination. His head snapped up and he stepped forward a few paces until he stood beneath the window. Arms held out, palms up, he stared seriously up at Marissa, all traces of snide humor gone.

"I'm yours for the taking," he called. "Here's the countdown: Three..."

Starscream's russet red eyes never left her brown ones, not for a second.

"Two..."

She found herself bringing first one leg back out the window, then the other. She sat on the sill, blanket gripped tightly in her arms.

"One..."

Thoughts flashed through her mind again. Did she really want to do this? Her parents -- They would be furious. They might even change all the locks on the house just to keep him out...

But she couldn't let them change her mind for her. They didn't know how she really felt... This was right. It was supposed to happen.

"Fall in my arms, now," he whispered, barely audible.

Then Marissa was -- She was falling through the night along with the rain, towards Starscream. The blanket flared up around her, covering her face as she squinted her eyes shut. It felt like she would continue to fall endlessly just as long as she kept her eyes closed. So it surprised her when she landed in a pair of strong arms with an "Oof," he not even staggering from the sudden addition of weight. His arms tightening around her thin frame, Starscream grinned at her.

"I told you so," he mocked. Marissa just looked at him from beneath the blanket now covering her head like a hood, breathless.

"You actually caught me," she mumbled. His smile faded slightly, but he said smoothly: "Your surprise is somewhat insulting." A tentative smile crept onto her lips, a light feeling bubbling somewhere near her stomach.

Starscream's forehead knocked gently against her own, wet hair dripping around his face. He spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice, barely loud enough over the continuous rain. "I don't know why I bother sometimes. You really can be such an irritating female creature."

"I love you, too."

He grimaced and was about to reply when the front door suddenly slammed open, revealing Marissa's father. Startled, she scrambled out of Starscream's grasp. Her mother soon appeared with a look of stunned disbelief on her face. "Marissa..." she whispered. "What are you doing...?"

Her father glared at the couple, then up at her lit and still-open window, and back at them. "Marissa Valdez," he thundered, "get back in this house _right now!_"

But Marissa seemed frozen in place, caught like a deer in the headlights. Starscream took a step back as her father took one forward. "As for you, Sterling," he said menacingly. "I never want to see your face again."

Starscream began to take another step back, away from Marissa. He sighed in annoyance, muttering to no one in particular. "That is _not_ my name..." He tensed, preparing to flee as her father stepped closer.

At the sound of his voice Marissa turned, locking eyes with him. Then she understood. He was going to leave her again; he was going to run and leave her parents to deal with her. He really was just like one of the many strays she had taken in over the years. They seemed to love you back as long as you took care of them, but as soon as they were able to leave, they did so. No regrets. No ties to anyone or anything. Marissa was tired of being used.

Starscream hesitated, trapped by her desperate stare. His gaze flickered towards freedom then back to her. Making up his mind with another annoyed sigh, he lunged back to Marissa and grabbed her hand tightly in one of his own. Then he turned and ran, dragging the brunette along with him.

"Hey!" Mr. Valdez shouted an angry protest and gave chase, gaining quickly on the pair. Marissa's eyes widened and she whispered, "Um, Starscream..."

He glanced over his shoulder briefly. "Damn. So irritating." He picked up speed, straining to go faster. "You're gonna have to pull your weight, woman!" he yelled back at her. "Don't look back!" His hand gripped hers in an iron hold, not letting go for anything. _**"Run, baby, run!"**_

Marissa ran. Feeling returned to her stumbling legs and they straightened out, allowing her to run as fast as she could. She pushed harder, forcing every last bit of speed out of her long legs. This was exactly what she had been waiting for, wishing for. For Starscream to put her at the top of his priorities. For him to think about her first. Not taking over, not looking after his own selfish needs, not pushing her away. Just her. She just wanted him to care about her.

Mr. Valdez was finally dropping back, giving up. Still Starscream ran, faster and faster. The rain became hard, whipping severely against Marissa's exposed skin. The sodden blanket clung to her, making it hard for her to keep up. A stitch in her side throbbed with each gulp of air she took. "Starscream," she gasped his name again. He slowed slightly, looking back at her but continuing to run. They were outside the military residence base where Marissa lived, the houses receding into wide open space. He took in her faltering step and ragged breathing.

"Human weaknesses catching up to you?" he suggested, not out of breath at all. _Of course not,_ Marissa thought with a stab of envy. _He doesn't need to breathe._

She nodded. Starscream frowned and glanced to both sides, finally seeming to notice where they were. He looked skywards at the dark angry clouds... And smiled. "Perfect," he muttered to himself. Staring back at Marissa, he slowed even more, asking, "You still trust me?"

Marissa stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding again. She had no idea what was going to happen. She almost expected him to leave her there...

So it didn't come as a shock to her when Starscream let go of her hand, or when he transformed into a jet. It was an impressive sight, an F-22 Raptor rumbling down the road. Still, Marissa had seen him like this plenty of times. The view of retreating engine boosters was also familiar.

What she _didn't _expect was for the Decepticon to slow almost to a halt, the hatch to the cockpit opening, and his voice, now metallic and grating, call out to her. "Come on, woman! Before I lose the rest of what little speed I have!"

Marissa's eyes widened as she realized what he was telling her. She did her best to ignore the pain lancing through her side and ran to catch up with him.

"How the hell am I supposed to get up there?" she shouted.

"Just grab one of my wings and go from there!" Starscream called back.

Marissa tried, picking up speed to jump at his right wing. Her hands grasped the wing -- and immediately slid off the wet metal. She stumbled, managing not to fall flat on her face, and kept going.

"You're all slippery! Fucking rain!" she cursed.

Starscream's engines roared in what Marissa imagined to be frustration. "Your species evolved from monkeys, didn't they? You've got to have _some _agility left!"

"Well you'd think a super-advanced robot would be able to get one puny human on him without this much trouble!"

"In case you haven't noticed, you aren't exactly as normal as most humans."

The Decepticon blocked out Marissa's angry retort and concentrated on the information his sensors were giving him. There was literally nothing around them, just a flat plain. Here and there a rocky outcrop lay in a heap, like the one coming up quickly on his right --

"Climb onto those rocks!" he shouted over the rain, sending a command through his circuits to shut the cockpit hatch. "And when I come back around, jump!"

"What the -- come back around? What are you talking about?" she asked in confusion.

The rocks were approaching fast. They were arrayed almost like curving steps; even she should be able to clamber up them. "No time for explanations! Just go with the trust thing!"

Starscream passed the rocks and picked up speed again, wind and rain sliding smoothly over his aero-dynamic contours. As Marissa reached the spot he'd just been at, he swerved out wide to the right, giving himself plenty of room to turn around. Now he was facing back the way he had come.

The brunette realized his plan as he started back down the make-shift runway. She also realized that she wasn't on top of the rocks where she should be, and he was coming closer and faster towards her.

"Oh, shit," she muttered, frantically scrambling onto the lowest rock. "Ahh, slow down, slow down, _slow down!_" Marissa continued to chant the words like a mantra even as she managed to stand up on the tallest rock. "Starscream, this isn't like jumping from a window to the _non-moving_ ground, you know!" she shouted in vain; he couldn't hear her over the noise of his engines.

"Guess it's up to me, then," the brunette whispered to herself. She clutched the soggy blanket closer as the catch keeping Starscream's cockpit shut released and the inside appeared: her target.

_I must have some sort of Peter Pan complex,_ she thought. _...Only without the flying._

Getting closer...

Marissa took a deep breath... And _jumped, _just as he went screaming past the pile she was standing on. For the second time that night she fell towards Starscream; this time, however, her eyes were wide open. It was terrifying. What if she didn't make it--?

She landed on something cold and hard. For a brief moment she felt a horrible sinking feeling, thinking she had missed. Then, suddenly, the rain stopped. Marissa looked up in confusion to see the cockpit hatch locking shut overhead. So then... What had she landed on? The brunette glance back down at the unnecessary metal control panel that was flashing sporadically up at her. The yoke was digging uncomfortably into her side, so she shifted back cautiously until she was sitting upright in the pilot seat.

"Seat belt. Now." Starscream's voice crackled loudly over the radio, startling Marissa. She felt around the sides of her seat until she found the two sections of harness and snapped them together over her chest and the bulky blanket.

"That's a pleasant change, having somebody listen to me for once. Now... You might want to hold onto something."

Marissa glanced around the tiny space. There wasn't much to hold on to. Without thinking, she grabbed the only thing she could with both hands -- the yoke.

A jumble of noise burst through the radio like static. Most of it was computerized clicks and the language of Cybertron, but he managed to choke out a few words in human English: _"Anywhere... but there!"_

The brunette's hands flew off of the yoke as if it were scalding them and fluttered above her lap; eyes wide.

"Damn! Stupid femme!" Starscream raged. He seemed to be having trouble taking in air. "I should just leave you here!"

Marissa hoped he was just venting, because one glance through the windshield showed that they were picking up speed once more. A little bit of her anger and frustration broke through the shock that had been fuzzing her mind since she had jumped out of her window.

"Well, excuse _me,_ but I've never been inside a jet before," she snapped. "Much less know what or what not to grab!"

"_Anything_ but _that _would have been fine, but no, you just pick the closest protrusion!" Starscream sounded like he was calming down to his normal pissiness, but another look through the window told her that they were still trying to go faster.

"There isn't exactly a lot to pick from... What is that thing, anyways?" she asked curiously.

Starscream responded with a burst of speed that pressed Marissa forcefully against the seat.

"It doesn't do anything, just don't touch it," he grumbled.

Marissa snorted. "It does _something,_ all right," she muttered to herself, but let it go. She tried to crane her head so that she could see out of the cockpit window better, but it was being forced uncomfortably against the head rest.

"We're, uh... Going pretty fast," she stated, a little nervously. "Where are you trying to get to in such a hurry?"

He didn't answer for a few moments, unwilling to talk to the brazen human girl. His mounting excitement, however, finally pushed him to speak.

"This continuous rain is annoying. I'm getting out of it."

The brunette barked a laugh, short and loud. "You can't outrun the rain! Or fly," she added. "I don't care how fast you are."

"For one thing, I could too out fly the rain," Starscream began testily. "But that's a moot point. I assure you my intentions are purely vertical."

_Vertical...?! _Marissa had time to wonder before she was forced back against the seat with greater pressure than she had ever felt. She felt herself tip backwards as the nose of the jet rose to point into the sky, and with a scream from both Marissa and Starscream's engines, they shot into the sky.

Unable to shut her eyes, Marissa stared at the scene before her, at the harsh rain that made it hard to tell the broiling storm clouds and dark night sky apart. She barely heard Starscream's ecstatic shout as they plunged head-on into the thunderous clouds; there was a roaring all around her combined with a high-pitched keening.

Then, suddenly, there was silence. Everything was calm. The only sound was the hum of engines and that strange shrieking.

"Would you shut up?" Starscream commanded, half amused, half annoyed. _Oh,_ Marissa thought. _That's me._ She shut her mouth and the noise abruptly stopped.

"W-What the hell _was_ that?" the brunette asked shakily. She realized her nails were gouging holes into the sides of her seat, which she had been gripping tightly. She unclenched her fingers and found them sore.

"_That_ was one of the best take-offs I've ever done fully in vehicle mode," he answered proudly. "Did you see how tight our ascent was?"

"I got a good eye-full," she admitted.

"Pity that's all you can do. It feels... Absolutely fantastic out here, up here. Flying," he said, "is much more preferable to walking down there with the ants. Although..." he paused, and Marissa's world tipped slightly sideways. Now she had a clear view of the sky through the right side of the glass. "...I suppose the view isn't so dull."

_Holy..._

They were flying _above _the storm, dark gray clouds carpeting the sky beneath them. The clouds stretched as far as Marissa's eyes could see; she briefly wondered if Starscream's enhanced optics would be able to see the edge.

It was like looking into a foggy mirror. The top half showed a clear black night sky dotted with millions of tiny points of light. The stars weren't being dimmed by any city lights, and they seemed to sparkle in contest with their mirrored rivals.

Looking down, Marissa gasped in wonder. The stone-gray clouds were impressive, yes, but they only disguised the activity inside them. Lightning sparked across the bumpy field irregularly. Sometimes it flashed in an arc like it was jumping out of an ocean, only to fall back and light up the clouds from the inside. These flashes appeared everywhere, some seeming to be trying to catch Starscream's metal body.

"It's b-beautiful," she stuttered, teeth chattering. Before she had been distracted by her terrifying ride up through the storm and the startling view around her, but now she became aware of the cold spreading through her body.

Of course Starscream detected the chatter in her teeth. "I thought you could use the blanket to keep warm, but..." he trailed off apologetically. "I wasn't expecting it to rain as hard as it did."

Marissa dug the damp throw blanket out from behind her back and laid it across her front, tucking it in around the seat belt where she could. It didn't do much for the chills, yet she could feel warmth pooling somewhere near her stomach, around where the bubbles had been before.

"So, no heating in the fancy alien jet?" she asked teasingly.

A noise resembling a snort emanated from the radio. "I have no need for such comforts. I feel nothing but the most extreme temperatures. Humans... They were never supposed to be in this position."

"Yet here I sit," muttered Marissa. "Still...," she added thoughtfully, "you thought about that. You told me to get the blanket."

"Well, I _did_ want you to be conscious. It would have been inconvenient if you had blacked out from the cold."

"Conscious for what? The view?" The brunette considered the sparkling stars and lightning for a moment, marveling at something most people couldn't even imagine, let alone see.

"That's... Part of it. I enjoyed sharing this with someone more than I thought possible. Thundercracker tried to follow me once, when I was trying to enjoy a flight alone. Idiot slagheap," Starscream grumbled. "He was lucky I didn't tear _both_ of his wings off."

"Hey!" Marissa exclaimed, punctuating the word with a hand slap to the dashboard. "You should be nicer to them! You're lucky they didn't abandon you, too--"

"Me? Nice? You're joking."

She sighed. "I guess I _would_ miss our constant arguments. And your sarcastic comments are the highlights of my day."

"Ha, ha. Very amusing, femme."

"I know, I -- Wait a second. You said the scenery was only _part_ of why you wanted me awake? What's the rest?"

Starscream hesitated. "...Sometimes your ability to pay attention is extremely annoying."

A scowl on her face, Marissa said, "You didn't answer the question."

"Alright, fine. I just wanted to ask you about... Earlier."

"A lot of stuff happened earlier, Screamer." Suddenly weary, the brunette leaned back against the seat. "Specify."

"Well, it was that part of the fight with your parents involving strays."

"Yeah... What about it?" she asked, curious.

"I don't know why I care so much; it's idiotic."

Marissa just waited, shutting her eyes. The events of the night were catching up to her just as the cold had; she was exhausted.

"Do you... Consider me to be a stray?"

Her eyes snapped open. _"What?"_ This was an unexpected turn of events.

"You heard me!" he snapped defensively. "Am I just one of your pet projects, one you'll abandon once I'm all nice and tame?"

Marissa stared at the radio speaker, mouth gaping. After a few moments Starscream's voice crackled through it: "Your silence is encouraging."

"That... _That's_ why you brought me up here? You're feeling _insecure?!_" she asked incredulously.

"Well, when you say it like that--"

"You _idiot!_ Here I was, worrying over whether or not you'll leave one day, constantly being left behind -- And you're concerned I'm trying to give you a _personality make-over!_"

"You're worried I'll leave?" he picked out of her rant.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she muttered. "You haven't set a good example of loyalty in the past."

Starscream was quiet for a minute or two. When he spoke again, his tone was grudgingly apologetic. "I guess... I should say I'm sorry."

"Yes. You should. But I know that's as close as you'll ever get to meaning it, so I accept your apology. I just can't believe that's what all this was about. As if I would ever leave you...!"

"I wouldn't let you if you tried," he said in an offhand voice.

"Huh?" Marissa asked, confused.

"You... Have no idea how I went through my existence before you showed up. Everywhere I went, it seemed like someone was there to pester me constantly. I couldn't stand anyone or anybot I came across. Making alliances was... _Difficult._ Eventually, I just flew away from it all."

"And you ended up here," she whispered, remembering.

"Yes. My Energon reserves were badly depleted, and I crashed outside some human residence area. I lay there, trying to find the energy to move, to do _something..._ Then you showed up.

"At first you were simply another annoyance, a human femme come to torture me with your never-ending questions."

"You weren't exactly Mr. Manners, yourself."

"True... But after a while, I didn't cringe at the sound of your approach. I didn't feel like blasting you into oblivion at the sight of you. You were... Tolerable. I actually enjoyed some of our arguments," he admitted.

"It's probably in your nature to like fighting," Marissa dismissed him casually, but inside the warmth was spreading. "It's called falling in love, you idiot," she said softly.

"If you say so... Marissa."

A little gasp escaped her lips. The warm feeling escalated until she had to pull the blanket off onto the floor of the cockpit.

"Don't get used to it! It was a one-time deal," Starscream protested.

"Sure, Sterling."

"_**AUGH! **_Slag it, for the last time, that is _not _my name! Irritating femme!"

"I love you, too, Sterling."

"I'm not dignifying that with a reply."

Marissa smiled and glanced to her side, out of the window. All she saw was a black landscape dotted with stars above and electric lights below.

_Electric lights..._

The smile fell from her face instantly. Twisting in the seat, she pressed her hands and face against the glass and stared down, eyes wide. A clear view straight down to the ground revealed the twinkling lights of the closest town to Marissa's neighborhood.

"Well, well, well," Starscream announced triumphantly. Marissa groaned. "Looks like I _can_ out fly the rain, after all. Now, who was doubting me earlier...?"

Marissa rolled her eyes and pulled away from the glass, flopping back in the seat.

"It sure wasn't me... _Sterling._"

* * *

**Hope you liked it, hun.**


	6. Movie Theatre

**Genre:** Romance/Comedy  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Transformers. Not even Barricade. Even though it'd totally be a fun!time if I did.

* * *

**In this odd little universe, Barricade and Bumblebee are pure human. Like... They have no robot or vehicle modes.  
I know, it's wierd.  
They're normal high school students with radical eye-colours, and their names are Blair and Cain.**

**...I wanted to write something different, and this is different! So sue me! D:**

* * *

_Riiiiing~!_

The bell signaling the end of another day at Prince George High School resounded in all the hallways. Seconds later the building was filled with the sound of teenagers stampeding towards the exits. There were less students than usual, seeing as it was the last full day before exams and most were skipping.

"Ugh! I'm so glad _that's_ over with," a short brunette exclaimed as she tossed her bag carelessly on a table. She glanced across the large cafeteria and smiled when she saw a blond mop of hair bouncing toward her.

"Hey, Blair," she called out. The blond head looked up, and the brunette found her warm brown eyes connecting with shockingly blue ones. Blair grinned and shouted back, "Shannon!"

When he got to the table he let his backpack drop to the floor, allowing him to grab Shannon and pull her into a tight hug. Blair was only a few inches taller than Shannon's five feet four inches and had a dazzling smile, one that he turned on the brunette when he released her.

"So, last day of school, huh?" he asked.

"Thank God. I don't know if I could take much more of it," she sighed heavily.

The blond looked at her, concern apparent on both his face and in his voice: "Why, what's the matter?"

Shannon started to wave off his worries. "No, it's nothing, just --"

**SLAM!**

The two teens jumped at the unexpected noise. They glanced to their left to see the source, a scowling man with spiky black hair, with white stripes on either side. Apparently his books were receiving the brunt of his mood, seeing as he had just thrown them down onto the table. Being freakishly tall, his ear piercings and bad attitude had given him a reputation for being bad news. Judging from the glare his unnaturally red eyes were producing, it wasn't hard to see where this idea had come from.

"Hey, Cain…" Blair said cautiously. "What's your problem?"

Cain's angry gaze shifted momentarily to bore into Blair's electric blue eyes. Then he glanced back across the commons and muttered, _"Him."_

Shannon followed his gaze to see a seemingly happy couple holding hands and walking together. The girl was an extremely curvy brunette with a bubbly laugh. Her boyfriend had dark hair and a natural tan that was the total opposite of her pale skin.

"Oh, come _on_, Cain!" Blair groaned. "It's been, what, two months since they started going out? And at least five since you guys broke up! When are you gonna get over her, man?"

Cain was already gripping the edge of the table. When the boyfriend leaned in to kiss the pale girl's cheek, his hand tightened until his knuckles were white and the table began to protest.

"Apparently not for a while longer," Shannon muttered to Blair. "Leave him alone." Louder, she said to Cain, "Just ignore him, Cain. You know Jessie is just going out with him to make you jealous."

"Looks like it's working," commented Blair.

"Shut _up!_" Shannon said in exasperation. "Look, maybe you could come see a movie with Blair and me. Take you mind off of… Everything."

Suddenly Cain's nostrils flared and his gaze turned from pissed off to murderous. Shannon glanced over in time to see Jessie finish kissing the guy, what's-his-name… Patrick. Shannon didn't really care for him, but if he made Jessie even a little bit happy, then she could deal with him.

"I'll have to pass," Cain growled in a baritone voice, snatching his stuff off the table and stalking out of the room.

Moments later Jessie arrived without Patrick, clearly staring at the door Cain had just exited from. Her chocolate brown eyes swung around to look at her two friends. Then her face broke out in a beaming smile and she tackle-hugged Shannon, squeezing tightly.

"Wasn't that _brilliant?_" she exclaimed. She pulled away from Shannon to glance back and forth between the two of them, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Blair seemed torn between laughing and trying to look stern. His merriment won, however, and a huge grin spread across his face.

"I have to admit, that was pretty excellent," he said, slapping a high five with Jessie.

"A little mean, don't you think?" Shannon asked, frowning.

Jessie's impish expression slipped from her face, turning into a look of determined hatred. "I will never be as mean to him as he was cruel to me," she said quietly. "If this hurts him in any way, it won't even begin to make up for what he's done." Then, her cheerful mood returning like the sun coming out from behind the clouds, she quipped, "So, what are you guys planning to do now that summer's here?"

Blair ignored her odd deviation from happiness and said, "Well, it sounds like Shannon wants to go see a movie tomorrow… You in?" He knew Shannon was going to miss her best friend over the summer, and since neither of them could legally drive yet, it was going to be a long vacation. Blair himself had just turned seventeen, and even had his own car, a 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. So while he could -- and probably would -- drive himself over to Shannon's house every day to hang out, he would try his best to get the girls together as much as he could. Whatever made Shannon happy, made Blair happy.

"Ahh… I don't know," Jessie replied, her face falling. "I've got to go to work at Books-A-Million tomorrow…"

"Don't you have to be eighteen to work there?" Shannon asked, disappointment already coloring her tone.

A smirk flashed across the taller brunette's face. "As far as my employers know, I am eighteen."

"Tricky," Blair said in appreciation.

"I'm sorry, guys!" Jessie said. "I'll make it up to you later, I promise. Oh…" she caught a view of the clock hanging on the wall behind Shannon and Blair. "I've gotta get out to the parking lot before mom has a fit. See you later! I love you!" This last statement was directed towards Shannon, as Jessie gave both of them hugs and sprinted off towards a different exit than the one Cain had used.

That left Blair and Shannon alone once more as the commons emptied all around them.

"So I guess it's just you and me for the movie tomorrow, huh?" Blair questioned as they began to walk after Jessie at a slower pace.

Shannon sighed. "I guess so. I just wish Jessie would stop trying to get back at Cain so we could all hang out together again…"

Blair put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Cain hurt her pretty bad," he said softly. "We all know he didn't mean to, but… You're a girl. And you know how hard Jessie falls when she does fall for someone."

"It's so weird for you to be telling me this," Shannon said with an odd little laugh. "But… you're right. I still want to do something to help them out." She looked up at her best guy friend as she said this, knowing it would set the gears in his trickster mind turning. Blair was one of the most sensitive and caring guys she knew, but he had a devilish side that enjoyed playing pranks on others more than anything else in the world.

"Hmmm… Well, we could always send Cain to the bookstore for us. I've been wanting a new comic for a while now, but I just don't have the time to get it." He smiled at Shannon as he said this, teasing.

A small smile slowly made its way across her face as she considered the idea. "I _have_ been wanting the next book in this series… Too bad it hasn't come out yet. Oh well. He'll figure that out eventually."

Blair laughed, the childish sound echoing throughout the hallway they were now walking down. "Excellent! Poor Cain'll have no choice but to ask someone for help."

"And hopefully…"

"That someone will be a curvy brunette who isn't exactly legal to be working there."

"Ugh, you're the best, Bee!" Shannon exclaimed, using her nickname for the blond.

Blair smiled happily, pushing open the door and holding it open for her. "Yeah, well, I _am_ pretty amazing."

Shannon rolled her eyes as they walked down to the corner next to the parking lot. Blair stopped and stared out at the dwindling number of cars, looking for the white truck he knew would be picking her up. Shannon was doing the same, a small awkward silence stretching out between them. These pauses had been happening more and more often lately. Shannon had no idea what the cause was, but she knew that something was changing between her and Blair. And she wasn't sure she wanted it to.

Blair, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. He knew the brunette was his best friend, that she knew him better than anyone. He knew how the little things mattered to her. He knew what made her smile, what not to even think around her. He knew how extremely aware of her he was every moment he was with her.

"So… You think you might need a ride home?" he asked hopefully.

"Bee, you ask me that every day," Shannon teased. "And every day, right after you ask--"

The brunette was interrupted by a horn honking as a white truck pulled up to the curb, an older version of Shannon behind the wheel.

"--my mom shows up." Smiling ruefully she turned towards the truck. "Well… I'll see you at the movie tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah! Wouldn't miss it for anything," the blond assured her. "Later!"

The smile plastered on his face slipped as soon as her back was turned. Blair didn't like seeing her walk away from him.

She waved at him through the window before driving away. Blair stared after the vehicle, thoughts crashing in his head. As he turned towards his Camaro, one thought in particular stood out in his mind.

He knew he was in love with Shannon, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

***

Blair paced around his room the next morning, crossing from his closet to a dresser and back again. Clothes lay strewn all over the place, making it look like a tornado had hit.

The blond was half-dressed, his hair mussed and blue eyes wide as he tore around the bedroom. He picked up a shirt, grabbed some jeans -- then tossed both across the room and started over.

Finally Blair stopped and stood still, glaring over at the dark-haired man sitting on his bed. Crimson red eyes glanced up to meet Blair's gaze without emotion. "What?" he rumbled.

"Dude, I called you over here to help me get ready, not brood! So help!"

Cain eyed the bright yellow boxers with the cartoonish bumblebee on the ass.

"…Nice boxers."

Blair flushed. "Shut up!"

Cain rolled his eyes and went back to squeezing the stress ball he was holding. Blair sighed, then looked around his room. Hesitantly, he said, "Look… If you help me, I'll give you twenty dollars."

Cain looked up, his eyes piercing into Blair's. One eyebrow quirked up in question.

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Blair said in defeat.

The dark haired teen sat up, considering. He glanced at the stress ball in his hand, then back up at Blair. "I get this, too," he said, holding the ball up.

Blair threw his hands up in frustration. "Fine! Whatever!"

Cain grinned maliciously. "Now you're talking." He pulled his tall, lean body off the bed and stared at the chaos around him. Walking over to one pile of jeans, he knelt down, grabbed a pair, and threw it at Blair. Then he stepped over to the closet and snatched one of the only shirts still on a hanger, a light blue t-shirt with black designs on it.

"Wear this," he told Blair, tossing the shirt at him as well. "If it gets cold, put this on," he then threw a yellow and black striped hoodie at the blond, then crossed his arms over his chest.

"But--"

"You asked for my help, so shut up. Get dressed. And give me my money," Cain growled.

Blair stumbled into his clothes and over to the dresser where his wallet was. He took out a twenty and handed it to Cain, who pocketed it quickly.

"What are you going to spend it on?" Blair asked innocently.

Cain paused, seeming to actually consider the blond's question.

"…I think I'll go to the bookstore," he finally stated. With that he strode towards the door, his exit clear.

"Wait--!" Blair protested. "My hair--"

"Fix your own damn hair!" Cain snarled before slamming the bedroom door shut behind him.

Blair sighed and walked over to the window, one that gave him a view of the front yard and driveway. A few moments later the tall, dark figure appeared and made its way to the black Mustang sitting menacingly behind Blair's Camaro. Blair said to himself, "Creepy how Cain seems to match his car," even shuddering a little.

Then a thought occurred to him. "Oh! But now I have an excuse to pick Shannon up early…!" he said excitedly. Grabbing his car keys, he flustered in front of the dresser mirror for a moment, a childlike frown on his face. Finally he simply ran his fingers through his hair a few times, shook his head, and left.

***

"SHANNON!"

The brunette in question sighed in annoyance, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. She loved her little sister… Sometimes… But most of the time Katelynn's grating voice made Shannon want to throttle her.

"What?" she muttered, knowing Katelynn wouldn't hear her. "What could you possibly have to say that I would want to hear?"

"Shannon!" her sister yelled again. "Some guy is here for you!"

"_What?!_" Shannon exclaimed as she whirled around, almost falling flat on her face onto her bed. She made it over to a window, pulling back the blind to see…

Blair's yellow Camaro sitting in her driveway.

"What…?" she repeated, confused as hell now. She finished getting her stuff together slowly and went downstairs. A slightly smaller girl was standing in the kitchen, smiling coyly and trying to chat up the blond standing uncomfortably next to her.

"Shannon," he said in uncontrolled relief, completely ignoring Katelynn and grinning widely. Shannon paused at the bottom of the stairs. It was odd, but seeing Blair in her kitchen now, so unexpectedly, well… It made her blush, for some reason.

"Blair? What are you doing here?" Shannon asked. "I mean… I thought we were gonna meet at the movie theatre?"

Blair's grin turned into an embarrassed smile and he rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Yeah, well… I was ready early, so I figured why not, and… I'd like to tell you something so…"

"What're you gonna tell her?!" Katelynn had been blissfully quiet, but now she spoke up, butting into the conversation.

"Excuse me -- Were you invited into this conversation? _NO?_" Shannon interrupted before her little sister could reply. "I didn't think so. Let's go, Bee." The brunette brushed past them both and left through the front door. Blair grimaced at Katelynn and uttered a quick "Later" as he followed Shannon. By the time he got outside and down the front steps she was already slamming the passenger door of the Camaro shut behind her. Blair slid into the driver's seat, started the car, and backed away from her house.

They drove through another silence for a few moments before Shannon suddenly exhaled a gusty sigh. Blair glanced at her warily when she turned a bright, yet apologetic, smile at him.

"Sorry, Bee. She pisses me off. Obviously. So… What did you want to tell me, anyways?"

Blair froze, letting the car drift into the next lane over. He jerked it back into place seconds later, a warm flush creeping over his face. "Uhm…" he stalled, glancing over at Shannon. His blush intensified when his electric blue eyes met her curious brown ones, eyes that were staring at him questioningly from her heart-shaped face.

This was the opportune moment -- he could tell her how he felt, alone in this car, with no interruptions and no way for her to avoid him. All he had to do was open his mouth and say…

"Ah! Uhm… Cain told me he's gonna go to Books-A-Million today," Blair blurted out. He immediately mentally kicked himself. Dammit! Why did he have to chicken out like that?

At least Shannon seemed happy. She gasped excitedly, saying, "No way! Oh my God, that's perfect! Do you think he'll make up with Jessie?"

"I hope so," Blair murmured dejectedly.

"Hmm -- Although there might be some property damage to the store, knowing those two…" the brunette said thoughtfully.

"At least _someone_ has the courage to say how he feels," he muttered angrily to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing…"

Blair turned on the radio, opting for a country station he knew Shannon would want to sing to. He loved hearing her sing, even if she thought she sounded horrible. She put so much feeling into the words it made the song itself seem ten times better.

Plus, now he could mentally beat himself up without having to concentrate on talking with Shannon.

They parked in front of the movie theatre at Southpark Mall and made their way into the mall and up to the ticket desk.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the employee behind the glass greeted them.

"Two for the 3:10 showing of Transformers 2, please," Blair said, pulling out his wallet.

"Are you a couple?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" the blond said blankly, his mind freezing again.

The employee sighed impatiently, then explained, "We're having an event right now to promote some organization. Every couple who buys tickets gets a special discount. So are you?"

"Uhm--"

"Yes! Yes we are," Shannon jumped in, startling Blair. He shot her a "what-the-hell-are-you-doing" look, eyes wide and slightly panicked. She elbowed him in the ribs below the counter, still smiling at the employee.

The woman stared at them for a moment before shrugging and giving an uncaring "Whatever." She punched some keys on her computer and said, "Your total is $4.50." Blair gave her the money, still in a daze. He barely heard her monotone "Enjoy the movie," as he and Shannon got their tickets and walked into the main lobby.

Totally oblivious to his zombie-like state, the brunette suddenly grabbed his hand in her own. "Just in case they're watching us," she whispered playfully to Blair when he glanced down at her. He managed a tight smile, thoughts sluggishly emerging in his mind.

Was the whole world trying to drive him insane? A _couple's discount_, really? He had no idea that Shannon would go along with it, much less keep up the charade. Why? Did she secretly feel the same way about him? If so, why hadn't she said anything by now?

Blair continued to ponder, completely forgetting he himself hadn't admitted his feelings to her yet. Shannon's voice briefly pulled him out of his reverie.

"I can't believe that worked!" she was saying. "Still, I'm glad you saved some money."

"Yeah, but it was kind of weird," Blair commented.

The short brunette's face fell and she released Blair's hand almost immediately. "Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she apologized.

Blair's heart thumped unevenly as he captured her hand in his once more. "I don't mind," he told her reassuringly.

Her cheerful disposition returned as his thoughts turned into ideas. Chicken he may be, but Blair was determined. Glancing around, he thought, _Maybe I can use this couple scheme to my advantage._

"You want anything to eat?" Blair asked, motioning towards the long line of cashiers set up in front of soda machines, popcorn, pretzels and candy.

Shannon frowned, looking down at herself. "I shouldn't… I'm still on my diet," she said resentfully.

"Okay, first of all, you're beautiful the way you are," he said firmly, ignoring her protests. "You sure you don't want to at least share a soda or something? The movie's over two hours long."

Shannon's warm brown eyes brightened at the mention of soda. "Well… Maybe just one soda," she agreed.

Blair grinned and dared to take it one step further. "At this rate, we really _will_ be a couple," he joked, trying not to sound like it was what he wanted most.

To his surprise, Shannon blushed slightly, the lovely warmth turning her pale face a delicate pink. His mind jumped to ten different conclusions at once in the space of a couple seconds. She was probably hoping he wouldn't notice -- or at least that he would pretend not to.

_Well, pretending hasn't gotten us anywhere_, Blair thought.

"What?" he murmured. Her eyes widened at the word, she was startled he was going to comment. He continued, "What's making you blush so cutely?"

Now Shannon's face turned from pink to red. "Ah -- Look! A cashier's opened up!" She dropped his hand and scurried over to the man in question, giving him the drink order. He made it and told her the price, when Shannon stiffened. She slowly turned her head and called out, "Bee?"

Blair shook his head and walked over, already pulling out his wallet.

"I forgot you had the money," she said sheepishly, not looking him in the eye. The blond paid for the drink and handed it to Shannon as they walked towards their theatre. She took it and, almost as an afterthought, sipped it noisily.

Blair couldn't help himself. Her blush, reaction, escape, the way she still had her head down, her forgetfulness, and the big slurp just all combined into one big laugh that erupted from Blair's mouth.

"What?" Shannon asked indignantly, forgetting her embarrassment for now. "What the hell is so funny?" When he didn't answer, she hit him in the gut. "Come on, Bee!"

Blair winced, still chuckling. "You, Shannon. You're my reason for everything." He took her hand again, squeezing tighter when she tried to free herself, and pulled her faster into the theatre.

They chose a couple seats in the middle of the theatre, in the aisle right behind the unused handicap seats.

A handful of people wandered in as the lights dimmed and movie previews flashed across the screen. No one sat near Blair and Shannon, however. The blond laughed quietly to himself at his "luck."

_Seems like even fate is giving me a chance._

Shannon's embarrassment had lasted longer this time, but it still wasn't enough to quell her curiosity. Without looking at him she asked, "What is it _now?_"

Blair opted to tell a half-truth: "It's just that fate seems to be conspiring against me. Or with me," he added thoughtfully. "I'm not sure yet." He turned a wry smile on her, only to find that was staring at him. The expression on her face was a mix of exasperation and confusion.

"Why do you keep saying things like that? And where is all of this confidence coming from?" Shannon asked.

He turned to look back at the screen, but not seeing it. "I told you," he said calmly, "you're my reason for everything."

Shannon punched him in the arm with as much force as she could manage.

"Ow!" Blair exclaimed. He rubbed his now-injured shoulder. "What'd you do that for?" He turned to give her a hurt puppy-dog face, but stopped abruptly when he saw the wetness that sparkled at the corners of her eyes.

"Stop _saying_ things like that!" she managed to keep her tone angry and even.

"What do you mean--?" Blair asked in bewilderment.

"All the stuff you've been telling me all day! I know when I'm being teased, but I never thought you would sink that low. All the nice things you've said, making it sound like you l… Lo…"

"Love you?" he finished for her gently.

"Yes," she sniffled. "I don't even care about that part. I just can't stand that you would lie to me about something you know is important to me!" The brunette was so worked up she didn't notice the few tears that escaped her eyes and rolled down her flushed cheeks.

Understanding flooded through Blair. "You think I'm making fun of you?" he asked, keeping his voice soft. He didn't care about who heard them, he just didn't want to startle Shannon.

"Well, it makes sense," she said, then glanced up at him. "You _are_, aren't you?"

The blond cupped the side of her face with one hand and wiped away the dampness with his thumb. He left his hand there as he spoke, trying to find the right words to convince her. It was her eyes that told him.

After a moment of deliberation, he decided to go with the simplest conviction he knew:

"I would never do something to harm you intentionally. Shannon… I love you."

The words ghosted from his lips with such sincerity that it was impossible for Shannon to find any false note in them. Against he will, more tears spilled over the brink of her eyes, falling silently. Blair's attitude of confidence faltered when he saw them; this was not the effect he had intended to have.

"Shannon?" he said worriedly. His free hand came up to caress her other cheek gently. Electric blue eyes bored into warm brown ones, concern marked his forehead and brought his eyebrows slanting down. "Is that okay? I didn't know if you felt… I'll leave you alone if you want!"

A choke giggle made its way insanely from her mouth. "That's not what I want," she whispered.

His hands stopped their movement to hold her face perfectly still. Not to anchor _her_, but to anchor himself.

"Then what do you want? Name it, I'll do anything for you."

"Anything?" Shannon hedged.

"I promise," he vowed, still searching from some hint of what was going through her mind. She considered him for a moment, tears drying, and saw that he was serious.

"I…" Still she hesitated, briefly. "I want _you_, Bee."

Blair suddenly exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding, turning it into a short laugh at the end. His eyes closed as he bent his head, the whipped it back up to grin at Shannon.

"That's the easy part, petal. You have me. Forever."

"For as long as you want me," she amended.

He rolled his eyes, disbelieving that she could still have any doubt within her. "Forever," he repeated firmly, locking eyes with her in determination.

She relaxed, a small, cautious smile emerging on her face. Blair glanced down at her lips, and his expression changed. His previous look of loving determination melded into one of innocent desire. His breathing quickened as he leaned closer, as did Shannon's when she found his hands were still around her face ensnaring her.

"Uhm -- Bee?" she whispered tentatively.

"Yes?" he breathed, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine when it met the brunette's skin.

"I don't… think I'm ready for that. Not here, in such a…" her voice dropped even lower, "...public place."

Blair's eyes flickered up to meet hers, reading the apology and uncertainty in them. With a sigh, he released her face and leaned back. Instead he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.

"Sorry," she said sadly.

"It's okay," he reassured her. A hint of mischievousness entered his voice. "Next time I'll be sure to try in a much more _private_ location."

Shannon blushed and gasped, smacking him lightly on his chest. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head, then rested his own on it as the opening credits began. The blond found himself sighing in contentment, not even caring what pictures flashed across the screen.

He had his flower, _his_ Shannon, and that was more than enough for him.


	7. Anniversary

**Genre: **Romance  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Transformers. I might own Shannon. Possibly.

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**This was part of my best friend's Christmas present.  
Yes, Christmas. And yes, I'm just now deciding to upload it.  
-lazylazylazy-**

**Constructive criticism is appreciated~ :]****

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**

The rumble of the old '76 Camaro's engine wasn't quite covered by the country song blasting on the radio. The Taylor Swift song had a slight echo, its source being the brunette sitting in the passenger seat. She usually didn't enjoy singing in front of others, but she was in such a strange, bubbly mood that she didn't care. Instead Shannon stared out the window without really seeing the dim scenery flashing by.

"…_You belong with me~_" Shannon sighed as the song ended, turning to look at the person driving. He caught her glance and flashed an easy grin at her, electric blue eyes straying from the road to meet her own chocolate brown ones. When he didn't look away, Shannon glanced at the liquid black pavement worriedly.

"Bumblebee, cut it out! You're making me nervous."

He frowned and asked, "Why? I'm part car, I can drive without looking."

"You tell me this, and then we crash into a tree or something."

The blond snorted, but he looked back at the road. For one content moment the only sound was the radio. Shannon wondered where they were going, after such a busy day already. That was weird, too. The couple had gone to multiple stops, all of which Shannon had enjoyed herself at. It had been nice…

Something was up.

"Bee…" the plump brunette began slowly. "Why did you take me to all those places today?"

"What d'you mean?" the Autobot asked innocently.

Shannon rolled her eyes. "I _mean,_ we went to Jessie's house this morning, and she was actually _awake_ -- and I know how much she likes lying in bed with Barricade all day when she's off work. And that's another thing, Barricade wasn't there! At all! That hardly ever happens!"

Bumblebee interrupted her incredulous rant. "But wasn't it nice to be able to spend time with her without that sour rent-a-cop hanging around?"

"Well, _duh_, but… It was just weird, okay? And after we left her house, we went to some kind of fair, and you won me a stuffed animal, and… I had a lot of fun there, too. _Then_ you went all classic and took me to a movie and dinner. What's worse it that you paid for everything!"

The blond's mischievous grin came back. "What, I can't take you out just because?"

"No! …Yes -- I mean --" A blush spread across her cheeks, adding to her already adorable appearance. Bumblebee laughed and reached over to take her hand. "I don't know why I'm complaining," she admitted. "I had so much fun today."

"I'm glad," he said warmly. By this time the sun was beginning to set, and the Camaro's headlights illuminated a barely paved road leading slowly up a hill. Thick stands of trees gathered on the sides of the road as it curved, hiding their destination from sight. Suddenly Bumblebee spoke up: "It actually _is_ a special occasion… I just didn't realize how much this anniversary would affect me."

Shannon stared at him questioningly. She was so intent on learning the reason for the entire escapade that she didn't notice the trees clearing away and the area lightening. Bee met her confused gaze with angelic blue eyes as the Camaro slowed to a stop gently. He answered, "Today was the day that I first met you."

"Is not," was the immediate reply.

The young Autobot chuckled, releasing Shannon's hand to cup her cheek. "Of course it is, petal. I think my memory's a little better than yours." A wink reinforced her blush, as did the sweet kiss he placed on her forehead. To distract herself she looked out the windshield, asking, "So now where have you taken me?"

"Go see for yourself."

Bumblebee slid out of the car and went to lean against the front of the hood. He didn't look back, even as he heard the brunette gasp and scramble from the car and past him, right to the edge of the cliff. She put her hands on the guard rail that separated the small mountain from the air and woods beneath, leaning forward.

The town she lived in stretched out before her, a silhouette before the blazing sunset painted across the evening sky. It was as though her favourite shade of red had been mixed with every possible red and orange, then bruised with deep purple clouds. The sun itself was dipping quickly behind the horizon line to the left of her city. A light breeze played with her medium-length brown locks, making her reach to tuck a strand behind her ear.

Shannon turned to say something to Bumblebee, but was caught unexpected by the look on his face. She'd caught him staring at… Her? But his expression was just so content, so fulfilled. His half-lidded gaze was locked on her, on how beautiful she was at that very moment.

It was a look full of love, and she had never seen anything quite so terrifyingly wonderful.

His eyes slid shut with his smile as he held his arms open, an invitation. Shannon hesitated, the brief moment of uncertainty flickering away just as quickly as it had appeared. She walked into his chest as his muscled arms held her in his warm embrace. The tousled blond rested his chin on top of her head, and was peaceful.

Except…

"I didn't get you anything," came the low-key mumble.

Bumblebee's laugh rang out in the darkening clearing. "Believe me, Shannon, you are the only gift I will ever need. Or deserve, for that matter."

The brunette protested, pushing against his chest and allowing her to stare up at him in frustration. "But you did all of this for me…!"

"Ah, but notice I didn't actually buy you any _presents_," he told her. She huffed, and a thought came to him. "There was something, though…"

"_More?_" Shannon groaned. "It'll take me forever to repay you for what you've already done!"

"No money was spent on this, I assure you." The Autobot reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled and smushed bow. He released his hold on Shannon as he carefully put it on his head. Then he stepped back and threw his hands in the air. "Ta-dah!" he exclaimed.

Shannon was struggling between laughter and straight-up confusion. Her decision became obvious with a, "What the _hell?_"

Bumblebee dropped his arms and explained, "I knew you'd be unhappy if I bought you something, so… I decided to give you me!"

She gave a disbelieving laugh. "Wow. Really, Bee?"

Some of his excitement faded. "Well… I know I'll always want you, and I…" he trailed off, becoming unconfident for the first time that day. He adopted an awkward manner, hardly able to meet Shannon's eyes. "I was hoping you'd always want me." He stopped abruptly and glanced away, a light pink tinting his cheeks.

Shannon giggled, causing Bumblebee to look back at her sharply. She smiled, saying, "I'm pretty sure that was the cutest thing anyone had ever said to me. And…" She blushed, but still reconnected herself to him, hugging him tightly. "Of course I'll always want you."

The relief on Bumblebee's face was obvious, and, Shannon thought, ridiculous. He gently grabbed her face with both of his hands and bent down, forcing a passionate kiss onto her lips. It was everything that Shannon associated with her Autobot -- light, happiness, warmth, and love -- all of it filled her veins and occupied her every thought. Kisses weren't what made her love him, but they were greatly appreciated.

The couple broke apart, the cool air refreshing on their flushed face. Bumblebee moved his hands to grasp hers, resting his forehead against her own. Chocolate met angelic blue, and Shannon couldn't resist commenting.

"So this is all I get?" she teased. "No brand new Camaro?"

The blond glanced at the yellow and black car idling near them. "No," he muttered, "one is troublesome enough."

Shannon giggled and nestled her head against his chest, listening. His arms wrapped around her and she felt warm and content, yet…

She frowned. "I can't hear a heartbeat." She felt his chuckle rumble in his chest as he whispered to her, "That's because I gave my heart to you."

The brunette clung tighter to her Bumblebee, feeling happier than she had in a long time. On a day she hadn't even known was special.

It was completely dark on the mountain side; the only thing being the Camaro's headlights as they shone on their embrace. Stars overhead twinkled to match the city lights that were sparkling into existence below. At that moment, Shannon wouldn't have traded this memory for all the stars in heaven.


	8. Wish Granted

**Genre: **Romance  
**Disclaimer: **Transformers = not mine. ;o;

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**Once again, for my best friend. She drew me pretty human!Transformers, so I quickly scribbled out this little story, based on a real wish of hers.**

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Bumblebee wandered around the house, searching for the human he shared it with. It was Thursday, and normally she would be at school right now. Due to the unusual amount of snow, however, her schedule had become kind of crazy.

The blond gravitated towards the kitchen window that looked out on the backyard. "What the --," he said abruptly when he peered through the glass panes at the blinding white scenery. Bumblebee shook his head and grabbed a coat lying conveniently on a chair by the back door. As soon as he walked outside the world seemed to get quieter. The snow on the ground muffled his footsteps as he approached the shorter figure standing in the yard.

"If you catch a cold, I'm the one who'll have to nurse you back to health."

Shannon jumped when a large, warm coat suddenly materialized on her shoulders. The brunette turned to face angelic blue eyes that openly showed concern. She grinned, teasing him, "You'd dress up like a nurse for me? I feel loved."

Bumblebee made a face. "If it would make you feel better, I guess I'd try anything."

"_Anything~_?"

"Except whatever you're thinking of right now."

Shannon laughed and shrugged into the coat completely. The Autobot wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest, chafing her arms gently in an attempt to warm her up.

"What were you doing out here, anyways?" he asked curiously. She shrugged and looked up at the white sky through her kind-of bangs, then murmured, "I guess I was waiting for it to snow again."

Bumblebee frowned as he followed her line of sight. "You want _more_ snow? This isn't enough?"

"Are you kidding me? I wish it would just keep snowing so I never have to go to school!"

He snorted at her childlike attitude, but let it go, content to hold his flower in the silence. A tiny snowflake drifted down past the couple, then another, and soon fat white crystals were at work recovering the world.

"Wish granted," Bumblebee said with a smile. Shannon's smile flickered across her pink face. She said hesitantly, "There's another reason I wanted it to snow again… But it's kinda lame."

"Too late, now you have to tell me," the blond quipped, spinning her around the face him and moving his hands to her hips. Her already rosy cheeks brightened a shade as she blushed, glancing into his earnest gaze.

"It's always been a kind of dream of mine… Lots of people say they want to kiss in the rain, but… I've kinda always wanted to be kissed in the snow." She stared stubbornly at anything but his now-grinning face, her blush intensifying. Bumblebee brushed some snowflakes from her hair and cupped her face in his hand. "Wish granted," he said, before kissing her warmly under the falling snow.


End file.
